The Disturbance of Metabolism of Oxides of Nitrogen in Liver Disease: Exhaled Nitric Oxide as a Measure of Severity

The discovery of nitric oxide (NO) and the L-arginine-citrulline pathway has led to important advances in biological sciences. It sparked an explosion of interest in the biochemistry, pharmacology, physiology, and metabolism of gaseous NO. Research has shown impairment of NO production in a variety of diseases such as disorders of the systemic and pulmonary circulations, cystic fibrosis, diabetes, and stroke, while in asthma and septic shock NO production is increased (1-5).